From:  Yu Ann Tan ,  Talor Gruenwald ,  Amar Shah

Buildings are the No. 1 carbon emitter in New York State. These emissions come from burning fossil fuels such as oil and natural gas for heating and cooling. Convincing the people of New York to support a ban on connecting natural gas to new homes and buildings will be a tall order. That appears to be even more worrying with the subsequent rise in natural gas prices and utility costs.

Renewable energy can insulate consumers from the volatility of fossil fuel prices. New York State needs to act now to make energy bills more affordable over time, said Lisa Dix, New York director of the Building Decarbonization Coalition. Gov. Kathy Hochul’s budget proposes a ban on gas hook-ups in new construction. The governor has set a target of 2 million all-electric and electric-ready homes by 2030. tate Sen. Brian Kavanagh and Assemblywoman Emily Gallagher sponsor similar legislation called the “All-Electric Buildings Act” (S6843/A8431A) that would also to ban fossil fuels in new building construction statewide. In December, New York City passed Local Law 154, phasing out on-site fossil fuel use in new construction starting in 2024 for small buildings and 2027 for buildings of seven-plus stories. A few weeks later, the New York State Climate Action Committee released its draft scoping plan, setting out a roadmap for meeting New York’s climate goals. The plan highlights a similar measure across the state — all-electric new buildings, with smaller buildings also starting in 2024.

The New York State Legislature is preparing to lead the country by requiring all-electric new buildings statewide. Based on an analysis of the impact of all-electric new construction in New York State on a timeline comparable to New York City law, RMI said: “By 2040, the statewide policy will save an additional 4 million tons of CO 2 , exceeding projected emission reductions. New York City – equivalent to taking 870,000 cars off the road for a year.”

The all-electric new construction policy offers New Yorkers a range of benefits. All-electric new buildings are now cost-effective compared to new hybrid homes. Clean electric heating will help New York State tackle the nation’s worst ranking of premature deaths from building-related air pollution. In addition, These policies lower the cost of subsidies for taxpayers to expand the gas distribution system, which would go fallow when the state shuts down gas taps. All-electric new buildings are a three-win option for climate, health and economy.

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